1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a wind operated power plant.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of wind operated motors have heretofore been proposed but most of these are relatively inefficient. In order to obtain a high output, also, the vanes must be of excessive length and a complex tower is needed to carry such a large structure.
It has been proposed, as in the U.S. Pat. Nos. to Tapalov, 2,335,817 and 2,379,324 to provide a stream motor having a plurality of parallel shafts with the shafts of a pair rotating in opposite directions and with adjustable pivotally mounted deflecting members to increase the span or cross sectional area of the stream which can be utilized. The structure is pivotally supported and automatically rotated to face the stream. The structures shown depend entirely upon the direct stream of fluid and do not attempt to reduce the pressure of the exhausted stream for increased power input. Dickinson, in U.S. Pat. No. 1,312,021 shows motive power means for utilizing the energy of air currents which includes a circular cowl or funnel disposed in front of an air turbine to act as an air scoop to collect air and direct it to the turbine with increased velocity. An enclosing casing of stream line formation is provided for accelerating the rearward movement of the exhaust air from the turbine. The apparatus can be mounted on a fixed support with a vane, to keep its head to the wind.
The circular construction employed imposes serious limits on the size and the structure, by reason of its construction, would be very expensive to build.
Crompton, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,339,078, shows a wind turbine in which a wind motor is provided in a venturi wind gathering body formed as a body of revolution and with the longitudinal or shaft axis concentric with the longitudinal axis of the body. The body is described as having an aeroplane leading edge as for a wing with an interior venturi throat, and the exterior surface is also a surface of revolution. In order to face the device into the wind a tail vane is provided.
The structure of Crompton is difficult and expensive to construct, is necessarily limited in the ability to increase its capacity in any manner other than by increase of diameters, and has other shortcomings.
It has also been proposed as in the U.S. Pat. to Morris, No. 2,555,807, to mount wing tip lights on the rotating wing of a helicopter or other rotative wing aircraft. A passageway (FIGS. 1 and 2) is provided between the leading edge and the trailing edge of the rotor to provide an air stream to flow at high velocity through the passageway to drive a turbine wheel in the passageway which in turn drives a generator in the rotating wing to activate the wing tip lights. In FIG. 4 the passageway is eliminated and the air turbine wheel is set so that the vanes project below the adjacent lower surface to the air flow beneath the wing.
The mounting of an air turbine wheel in the rotating wing of a rotary wing aircraft, while it may provide sufficient power to energize small lights, is not adapted for multiple horse power units and does not function in a comparable manner to the structure of the present invetion.
The foregoing structures lack the simple and effective structure hereinafter described.